Plymouth Achievements

We are moving steadily away from the days when we were marked out by one of our City Centre wards being the poorest in the whole of England. Plymouth is now becoming the thriving maritime city which it rightly deserves to be.

However, I am the first to accept that there is still more to do. I am happy to talk to anyone about how Plymouth can move forward further and faster, but I hope you will agree that we are making progress in the right direction - and with your help we can keep things going forward!

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Pensioners

The Labour government have shown their commitment to restoring the link between pensions and earnings with the publication of the pensions white paper.
The income of the average pensioner in Plymouth has increased by £1500 since 1997.
Pension Credit guarantees every single pensioner £109.45 a week and £167.05 for couples.
Before 1997, many pensioners in Plymouth Sutton had to live on just £69 per week. Now 4,710 households benefit from extra money.
15,870 households in Plymouth Sutton also benefit from Winter Fuel Payments (tax free £200).
6,600 over 75s benefit from free TV licences in Plymouth.
Pensioners in Plymouth Sutton are now able to travel for a much lower fair on local buses and in some cases for free.

Employment

The New Deal for 18 to 24 year olds has helped to cut long term youth unemployment by almost two-thirds since 1997 helping 3,437 people.
All workers over the age of 22 now benefit from a national minimum wage of £5.35 per hour.
In March 2007 there were 3423 less people unemployed in Plymouth Sutton than in 1997. A drop of 64%, putting the constituency in the top 30 in the country for lower unemployment.

Families and children

51,705 families in Plymouth are taking advantage of a 25% increase in Child Benefit payments and many also benefit from Tax Credits.
The incomes of the poorest families in Plymouth have gone up by an average £3,200 since 1997.
Now every child is entitled to one of the free part time nursery education places available in Plymouth.
We have created Child Trust Funds, delivering £250 to every baby and £500 for the babies of low income families.

Crime

Devon and Cornwall remains a safe place to live with the crime rate, the 6th lowest nationally per 1,000 population.
British Crime Survey shows that risk of being a victim of crime is at its lowest level since records began in 1981.
Overall crime has fallen a further 2.2% in Plymouth Sutton from 2005 to March 2006.
Burglary and vehicle crime are now at a 7 year low, having been reduced by over 30%.
There are now a record 3,500 Police Officers in the Devon and Cornwall force. The highest number ever.
Violent crime has fallen a further 5% to date, continuing the 9.7% reduction in 2005/6.
Tough anti-social behaviour legislation has helped crack down on yobs in Plymouth. Devon and Cornwall police have issued 147 ASBO's since their introduction.

Health

Since 1997, and the election of a Labour government, NHS waiting lists are at the lowest levels since records began.

Labour have also honoured their manifesto pledges to increase the numbers of nurses and doctors and build new healthcare facilities.

98.8% of patients now wait less than 13 weeks for their first outpatient appointment at Derriford Hospital.
In addition, 99.9% of patients wait less than 6 months for surgery, with the average treatment time being within eight weeks in Plymouth.
In the South West, the number of people waiting over 13 weeks for out-patient treatment has gone down by nearly 100% since 2002 (from 21,740 to 10 in March 2006).
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust expenditure has increased from £130,406,000 in 1997/8 to £290,261,000 in 2006.
The Trust have doubled the numbers of consultants from 125 to 259.
Moreover, in March 2000 the trust employed 2,452 nurses and midwives. By March 2006 this number had increased to 2,908.
The £39 million Plateau Project at Derriford Hospital has also created a new expanded Cardiothoracic Centre increasing the number of heart operations from 1,100 to 1,850 a year.
Everyone in Plymouth Sutton is now able to see their GP within two working days.

Education

There are now no infants in class sizes of more than 30 in Plymouth Sutton.
An extra 1,545 three and four year olds have taken up free early years education places since Labour were elected.
Since 1997, there are also an extra 60 teachers and 150 teaching assistants in Plymouth Sutton.
Funding in Plymouth is now £3940 per pupil. A 34.3% increase in real terms during Labour’s time in government.
An extra 17% of 11 year olds now achieve the required levels of literacy and numeracy.
There has been a 16.4% increase in the number of 15 year olds achieving 5 or more A*-C grades in the constituency.
Plymouth Sutton now also has an extra five specialist schools and there has been record investment in school facilities throughout the local authority. Plymouth was the first city in the country to achieve specialist status for all its schools.

Information correct as of May 2007.